Critics’ choices What to see this week
EXHIBITIONS ROB AND NICK CARTER: DARK FACTORY PORTRAITS by Alastair Sooke
Amid fears that robots will steal our jobs, Rob and Nick Carter decided, for their most ambitious project yet, to programme a humungous factory arm to paint likenesses of famous 20thcentury artists, such as Picasso. Should (human) portraitists fear for their futures? Judge for yourself; all I’ll say is Louise Bourgeois looks a little beardy.
Ben Brown Fine Arts, London W1 (020 7734 8888), WedsApril 17
THEATRE ALBION by Dominic Cavendish
First staged in 2017, and with renewed pertinence in this
Brexit year, this ingeniously allegorical state-of-the nation drama from Mike Bartlett ( Doctor Foster, King Charles III) is one of the finest plays of the past decade. Victoria Hamilton revives her lead role as a grieving mother ploughing her energies into a rural garden of remembrance. Almeida, London N1 (020 7359 4404), until Feb 29
COMEDY LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL by Tristram Fane Saunders
In its 26th year, this festival’s highlights include: rising star Jessica Fostekew’s Hench (today), a powerhouse hour about parenthood and bodybuilding; Alex Edelman’s Nazi-mocking Just for Us
(Mon); beardy philosopherpoet Rob Auton’s musings on the nature of time (Weds); goofy surrealist Olaf Falafel (Fri); and shows from perennial favourites such as Mark Watson (today) and Johnny Vegas (Sat). Various venues (comedyfestival.co.uk), until Feb 23
JAZZ KIT DOWNES
Creative jazz composer and keyboardist Kit Downes appears with two equally inventive collaborators:
saxophonist Stan Sulzmann (Weds) and vibraphone player Lewis Wright (Thurs).
Kansas Smitty’s, London E8 (020 7112 9312), Weds; Anteros Arts, Norwich (anteros foundation.com), Thurs
DANCE ACOSTA DANZA UP CLOSE
The Cuban company stages a bill of five contemporary works by big-name dancemakers. These include Rafael Bonachela’s pas de deux
Soledad, and Russell Maliphant’s acclaimed solo
Two, in which Carlos Acosta himself will dance.
Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre, London WC2 (020 7304 4000), Thurs-Feb 24
FILM PARASITE
Korea’s Bong Joon Ho directs an endlessly ingenious farce/ heist thriller hybrid, which won the Cannes Palme d’Or and has been nominated for six Oscars. It follows a hard-up family who con their way into a bourgeois dream home, only for all hell to break loose. 15 cert, 132 min
POP ANGEL OLSEN
With her acclaimed new album All Mirrors, singersongwriter Olsen moves past fragile Americana to a more full-blooded sound, boding well for these live shows.
SWX, Bristol (angelolsen.com), tomorrow and touring
OPERA CARMEN
Valentina Peleggi conducts Calixto Bieito’s lean, mean and taut staging of Bizet’s drama, with Lithuanian mezzo Justina Gringytė as the tantalising gypsy. London Coliseum, WC2 (020 7836 0111), Tues, Fri and in rep until Feb 27